Student Exchange Program
Niigata University Faculty of Dentistry
March 13-28, 2025
The short-stay student exchange program in Niigata University was held last March 13-28, 2025. The program commenced simultaneously with the signing of the MOU attended by Dean Makoto Inoue of Niigata University Faculty of Dentistry Sciences and Dean Michelle Segarra of UP College of Dentistry. With the newly signed partnership between the two universities, this opened the doors for collaborative international conferences and student exchange opportunities, with the goal of fostering global knowledge exchange, enhancing cross-cultural learning experiences and advancing research in dental innovation and education.
The student exchange program was attended by sixth year dental students from Batch 2025, namely Reine P. Reyes and Hannah Mae C. Vegafria. Together with two other fifth year dental students from Manila Central University, they represented the Philippines in the student exchange program, which was attended by 35 dental students from 16 different universities and 9 countries from Asia and South America.
The program was designed effectively, allowing the students to experience a combination of learning theoretical knowledge through lectures, clinical practice, and hands-on training through laboratory and hospital visits.
A total of 48 credit hours were completed by the students through this program, studying and engaging with the lectures on oral and maxillofacial surgery, dental hygiene, dysphagia rehabilitation, periodontics, oral pathology, oral physiology, biochemistry, bio-prosthodontics, orthodontics, preventive dentistry, and maxillofacial prosthodontics. Various research studies were discussed by the professors and PhD students, which evidently showed the competence of Niigata University when it comes to advancing clinical practices and contributing to the global dental community.
Through the laboratory visits, the students were able to experience some hands-on training such as CAD/CAM denture practice, Dental Trainer Simulation Practice, Frozen Section Procedure (Cryosection), and Ultrasonography.
Demonstrations of the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) were also experienced by the students as part of Dysphagia Rehabilitation Department. The examination protocol for the Dysphagia Rehabilitation was discussed to the students, accompanied by live examination of a volunteer student per visiting group for better visualization.
Operation Room visits were also held which allowed the students to witness the efficiency of the workflow in the OR. Observing the OR team's precise movements and efficient communication showed the doctors' dedication in delivering exceptional patient care.
On the last day of the program, a closing ceremony was held last March 28, 2025 where Dr. Yoko Ishida Okumura discussed the requirements and application for postgraduate studies in Japan. Dr. Ishida also led the the awarding of certificates
commemorating the participation of the 35 international students in the student exchange program.
SDG #3,4,17
#University of the Philippines Manila
.png)
){kind=link}